Chick Magnet
by Doctor Meowzie
Summary: [NejiSaku] AU Highschool OOC. Threat notes to be given. A friendship to be rebuilt. Oneshot.


051106

**A/N:** Doctor Meowzie has just gotten well from fever and constant headaches and her internet connection turned into crap, so she wasn't able to surf for five days. It's too bad for a doctor to be a patient. She isn't sure if she's completely well now, but she's feeling way better than the past few days, so the Doctor is IN. (Er… screw the third person talking…) 'Chick Magnet' is a song by MxPx, but this is not a songfic.

Welcome to Doctor Meowzie's Clinic. Please have a seat and feel comfortable, neh!

**NOTE: **one-shot, NejiSaku, AU, High school, OOC, and some stuff…

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own, you don't sue. Hope that's clear.

* * *

† **CHICK MAGNET **†**  
**Doctor Meowzie

* * *

Quickly scribbling down a few words on a small piece of paper, the pinkhead's face contorted visibly into that familiar expression of deep anger, when steam comes out of one's ears, shark teeth activates, and volcanoes would pop out of nowhere and explode in the background. Exaggerating, yeah, but that's how it is when Haruno Sakura is angry. But anyway, it didn't stay that way for long, though; after four seconds flat, she whacked her pen on the desk she had been writing on and inserted the paper somewhere below the desk.

Sakura sighed. It was still very early in the morning, and the rest of her classmates were still probably sleeping. Some were probably cooking eggs for breakfast, drooling in their dream, or even calling their boyfriends or girlfriends under the blanket… not that she cared.

Throwing her bag over her shoulder, the girl spared one more glance on the desk. This desk wasn't hers, but she would do this everyday. Writing a death-threat like message during break time and inserting it below this particular desk was one of her favorite hobbies.

Though the one who sat there was her least favorite person in the world…

While waiting for her other classmates in Year 3 Section 3 to arrive, Sakura decided to pace around the classroom and check out other desks (she was hopeful enough in searching for some possible kept secrets of any of her classmates that when discovered can be a nice weapon for blackmail). After a few minutes, she wasn't able to unearth anything, so she threw her hands in the air and yelled, "Screw this!"

It was very boring staying in an empty classroom, so she dashed towards the classroom door and slid it open only to see Hyuuga Neji's morning face right in front of her.

"Hey," greeted Neji, smiling slightly.

Sakura stopped and blinked blankly at him before turning away from him with a 'Hmph!' and closing the door with a loud 'WHAM!'

So loud that it made the wood ants on the door shout "This sucks!"

Neji blinked in surprise before deciding to shrug it off and sliding the door open again to enter the classroom. As soon as he sat on his seat, his hand automatically reached under his desk, and he slightly smiled to himself when he pulled out a small piece of paper.

'_This is the 250th!' _he thought happily.

He opened the neatly folded piece of paper and read it with his white eyes.

It said:

**  
EAT SHIT, KNUCKLEHEAD!  
**

Neji couldn't help but smile; to another person, those three words would mean something else, but to this long-haired man, this simply means he's ready to start the day.

He refolded the paper and pocketed it.

* * *

"Troublesome…"

"Hurry up, Sakura-chan."

"Sakura-chan… that's the fifth one this day…"

"I know, Naruto, just let me finish this…" she told one of her best friends while writing the last of ten exclamation marks that punctuated what she wrote on a small piece of paper. Snapping the paper to fold it, she walked towards a locker and taped it on the surface with a violent jab of her thumb and hurriedly walked away, with Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino hurrying along in her wake.

This had been going on for almost three years starting their very first year in high school. This had been such a regular habit of the pinkhead that her best friends could only sigh. Though Ino found the whole thing cute, Naruto found it amazing, while Shikamaru found it… well, troublesome.

OK, the story involved two persons: Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Neji.

As far as they could remember, when they were still in grade school and middle school, Sakura and Neji had been very close friends. You know that type of friendship where one does not need to politely greet the other in starting to converse randomly and comfortably all the same? Yeah, that one.

But when they had set foot on the pedestal for first year high school, things changed. On their very first day back in Grade 10, Neji had quickly become popular when girls had set eyes on him, so he was now in the same level as the other Mr. Popular, Uchiha Sasuke.

What the hell did he do? NOTHING!

…okay, just to fill in some details, he just walks around school calmly in all his prodigious glory, pale face gleaming in the sunlight, long brown hair tied loosely at the end, and all those girls he pass by automatically send him those try-hard cutie sparkling eyes which Sakura would gladly describe as crap.

When the ladies come up to him, Neji, being not the bastard he isn't, would talk to them. It was a wonder how he can stand all those fan-girls, with all their gossip and such. This so happens almost every second he's in school, and is primarily the reason why Sakura can't talk to him anymore.

She was bothered, but he seemed not to be, and it annoyed the hell out of her. Her best friends wouldn't even talk to her about the manner else she'll burst into an endless rant.

And with these circumstances taking place everyday, the routine was finally born.

It was like this everyday: since her parents go to work quite early on weekdays, Sakura has to leave for school early as well. When she arrives, she's always the first one and no one else would be in the classroom, and while she is, she takes the liberty of leaving a note under Hyuuga Neji's desk. She goes out to walk around the campus while Neji finally arrives. He comes in the classroom and automatically reaches under his desk for the expected note, and after he reads it, he smiles happily.

A hand writes a threat received by another hand whose owner smiles at the threat.

It was a habitual cycle and it happens everyday, up until dismissal time. Heck, sometimes even the Hyuuga's innocent locker is involved.

Sakura's rants about Neji were also part of a 'normal' day. The two blondes and the lazy brunette would just nod wordlessly as she yells words that go like, "Stupid Neji! He was such a good boy back then, but now… ARGH! He hangs around with many people, mostly those sluts! What a chick magnet!" or some others that mean the same thing.

Ino would tell her teasingly that she's just a jealous girl, but Sakura would deny and continue ranting.

She was obviously jealous.

Of course, Sakura was not one to cry just because of this; it's just that… she was very hurt and disappointed, because one: Neji seemed to live in his own world, far away from her, and two: he doesn't seem to be bothered at all.

She was.

And it was NOT fair.

Didn't he treasure the bond they had formed back in grade school? Did he treasure it AT ALL?

No, he didn't seem to treasure it at all.

She did.

And it was NOT fair.

Neji didn't know that he broke her heart.

* * *

The note slash death threat read:

**  
CHICK MAGNET STRUTS AROUND SCHOOL AS IF HE'S COOL, WHEN HE'S NOT!**

Neji inwardly smiled at what the pinkhead wrote. Chick magnet? So she really thought of him as that, eh?

Oh well…

It was already the 297th note, and she's still not out of words. He had to admit, it was amazing.

If he was to answer a billion yen game show question that asks you to name a person who would have loads of colorful words to choose from in describing something, he'll answer straightaway:

"Haruno Sakura."

And he bags the billion.

He blinked. No game show would ask such question, he thought.

He looked out the window beside his seat. Their homeroom teacher told them earlier about the upcoming prom for all juniors and seniors in two weeks' time. He sighed as he heard stifled giggles from the girls behind him. Were they planning on asking him of all people?

But he already has someone in mind…

He glanced at the mop of short pink hair somewhere at the front of class. Sakura wasn't listening to Anko-sensei's discussions; she was leaning to her right and was talking in whisper to her seatmate, Gaara. She giggled as Gaara smirked; the redhead must've said something amusing to her.

Neji frowned.

The bell rang to signal dismissal time as he looked back at the small piece of paper in his hands and placed it in his pocket.

"YOSHA! It's already dismissal time! Don't forget your homework! Ja neh!" Mitarashi Anko-sensei waved the class goodbye and, in a blink of an eye, was gone, leaving her students blinking and sweat-dropping in her wake.

As the rest of the students chatted animatedly and walked out of the classroom, Neji spotted Sakura wave Gaara goodbye and walk briskly out of the door. He frowned once again at the sight of Sakura talking to Gaara.

Brushing that aside, he picked up his bag and walked out of the door as well, pointedly ignoring screeches of "Ja ne, Neji-kun!" and "Neji-kun, take me to the prom!" from inside the classroom.

* * *

"Sakura."

Without halting on her tracks towards the Haruno residence, Sakura looked over her shoulder. Upon seeing Hyuuga Neji walk behind her leisurely, her expression dulled. "Oh. It's you."

She then turned her head back to look straight ahead as Neji picked her pace and walked beside her. He was looking at her from the corner of his eerie eyes, she noticed, and it vexed her to death. What annoyed her even more was that he was smiling.

"Stop smiling, it annoys me," she hissed to him in defiance.

Neji cocked his head to look at her more properly. "I'm surprised. You had always smiled."

"Well, I'm surprised you remember," she said, trying to ignore a bitter feeling that made its way from her stomach to her throat.

"Hey, I'm not old. Of course I remember."

"You may remember, but I doubt what you remember ever means something to you."

"It does."

"Hah, I'm surprised again," Sakura said in disinterest, though she was slightly bothered by what he had said. _'It does' my ass…! _She thought grudgingly.

Neji eyed her.

"You've grown…" he started.

"Duh, what do you expect…"

"…in a way I did not expect."

Sakura bit her tongue to stop any retort from coming out of her mouth, having not understood fully what he had just told her.

What did he imply by that?

It suddenly struck her that it was the first time for more than two years of cut-off communication (besides the note-thingy) that they had an actual conversation. It may be full of rude retorts and snide comments mostly by her, but they were still talking to each other. In a way, it was like how it was back in grade school; they talk without formality. Although unlike before, she didn't respect him anymore, what with all her sarcasm and anything.

Neji now saw how she was, how she has grown, and how she was still growing. She has grown into a mature flower with a strong personality so unlike the rest. He never expected her to bark such witty retorts at him, since she was just a sweet little girl back in grade school, and since it came about, he was surprised.

He loved surprises.

Neji let out a small smile to himself as he turned to face ahead of him. "Sakura, there's this girl. I had my eyes on her since first year. But she won't come near me or talk to me."

Sakura snorted; why would she care for such crap? It's not her problem Neji's after someone who isn't one of his fan-girls!

He smiled wistfully and continued, "I've actually been chasing her since then, since I don't want to be outdone by my… rivals for her affection. She's quite popular, hard to get, and the more she ignores me, the more I chase her… well, secretly."

Sakura felt something inside her stir. She couldn't identify her emotion right now and couldn't even tell each apart from the rest that had swirled in her chest somewhat painfully. Did she know who Neji's talking about?

Or rather… Was she jealous?

Her eyes slightly widened at the thought and she shook it off immediately.

All of a sudden, she felt the need to talk. "Well, Neji-_sama_, I don't know who she is, but I congratulate her for not being a lovesick fan-girl of yours. Since you like her and we all know how hard you are to please, I might be a fan of that girl too." She inwardly congratulated herself as well for the smoothness of her stutter-free speech.

Neji was even more surprised at what his companion had said. She didn't know who he was talking about, then.

It was only when they stopped in front of her home did she realize Neji's true intentions of walking with her: to walk her home and to have a small conversation with her.

Can you call it 'bonding'?

Bonding or not, her score-long anger towards Neji was lifted by the heavens all of a sudden.

"Well then, good bye…" Sakura waved him off to enter their gates when Neji placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Wait."

"Huh?"

"Hey… about the prom…" he started, inwardly gulping nervously. It's now or never, maybe tomorrow could be, and the days after that, but somebody's bound to ask her by then, so for Neji… it's NOW or NEVER.

Sakura's eyes widened as she remembered something.

"OH YEAH! The prom! Guess what, white-eyes man?"

Neji, forgetting that he was supposed to ask her out, looked at her in confusion. What's he supposed to guess?

"I've got a date! Haha! And I bet you still don't since you couldn't choose from all the fan-girls you've got, but oh well, it's just the first day we were all able to know about the prom, but I still beat you!" she stuck her tongue out to him.

Neji froze. Someone had overtook him already?

Then he remembered a giggling pinkhead talking to a smirking redhead.

GAARA!

Now he was so sure Gaara was one of his rivals…

"Hey, Neji… ugh, your white eyes are glowing freakily. Anyway, I'm going inside now. And…" she suddenly blushed and looked at anywhere but his eyes, "…thanks."

Neji nodded at her wordlessly, although slightly amused with her cute blush and quick change of expressions.

'_Well, that's progress.' _They both thought.

"Ja, Sakura. I hope you give me a chance."

With that, he walked off into the sunset, satisfied that he was able to make amends, disappointed that he wasn't able to ask Sakura to the prom, and resolved to come up with a genius plan to beat the wits out of Gaara.

Sakura smiled. So, Neji didn't change after all. She was just the one pushing him away all these years, and she didn't even know that. It was actually Neji who made the effort of them being friends again, not her, so she owes him.

She guessed she wouldn't need to continue her note-writing hobby anymore, now that she can do so verbally. Tch… but it was fun though…

'_The last was the 297th note… I know! Three more to make it 300 and that's the last of it!'_

Joyful at how things had gone this day, she skipped happily towards their front door… her mind kept on echoing Neji's voice many times.

_I hope you give me a chance._

She could only wonder what he meant by that.

**OWARI**

**

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**

Come on Neji, Gaara's a good boy. Please review, maybe I'll write a sequel.


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